Container coupling mechanism



June 1968 o. w. DUVAL ETAL 3,386,696

CONTAINER COUPLING MECHANISM Filed May 25, 1966 INVENTORS PM!!! (Pl Flt 2084174 3/678 4703172 1 19. T070 United States Patent "ice CONTAINER COUPLING MECHANISM Daniel W. Duval, Lyndhurst, Robert A. Spear, Maple Heights, and Joseph A. Toth, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to Midland-Ross Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 25, 1966, Ser. No. 552,977 7 Claims. (Cl. 248-361) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adapter remova bly coupled to a support for securing a container to the support in nonshiftin-g relation thereto.

In the containerization method of freight handling, the container is removably coupled to the deck of a ship, or the container is stacked vertically in the hold of a ship and coupled to the subjacent support by a stacking adapter.

Hence, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a removable adapter for securing a container to a support in non-shifting relation thereto.

A further object is to provide a low cost adapter of a design adapted for casting for use in the material hand- "ling field.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for interlocking a container to a support.

Yet another object is to provide means on the adapter for orientating the adapter relative to the support so that a container may be lowered one the support with the adapter in substantial alignment with the entrance opening of the bottom corner casting of the container to be secured'to the support.

Summary of the invention Briefly, the invention encompasses an adapter used to secure a cargo container in nonshifting relation to a support. The adapter comprises a coupling member and a collar. The coupling member is defined as an upstanding head having a shank depending from the head with a crosshead provided on the free end of the shank. The collar is defined as a body having a width and length, less than and greater than, respectively, the length of the crosshe-ad. The collar is rotatably mounted on the shank and is receivable in supporting engagement in an opening in the support. With the adapter in coupled relation with its support, portions of the cross head are disposed in underlying relation to the support while the head is supported by the collar and projections above the support. In the coupled position, the head is adapted to be received in an opening in the underside of the container.

Description of the drawings In the drawings to which the invention is described:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the adapter and locking key in accordance With the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation in vertical crosssection illustrating an adapter removably coupled to a support, such as a container, and another container secured to the support in non-shifting relation therewith.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the adapter illustrating the positioning of the adapter in a support.

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the adapter, taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top view of a collar which 3,386,696 Patented June 4, 1968 is a component of the adapter and divided, as shown, into halves.

Description of the embodiment Specific reference is now made to the drawings wherein similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, an adapter 2 comprising a coupling member 3 and a collar 4 are used in securing a container 5 in non-shifting relation to an upwardly facing planar surface 6 of a support, such as the top of another container '7.

Coupling member 3 comprises an upstanding head 11, a shank portion 12 depending from head 11, and a crosshead 13 connected .to the free end of shank 12. Head 11 is defined by a tapered portion 15 joined to a polyhedron 19 having vertical faces 2% and 21 extending in the lengthwise direction of member 3, and oppositely facing end convex faces 22 and 23. Shank portion 12 is of circular cross section and extends downwardly from an undersurface 25 of head 11. The axis of the shank 12 is contained in the intersection of the coupling members longitudinal and lateral vertical planes of symmetry. Crosshead 13 extends in the transverse lateral direction of head 11 and has a length greater than the width of the head but preferably less than the length of the head.

Collar 4 comprises two mirror image half-collars 2626 of which each is defined by a body having parallel vertical side surfaces 27 and 28 joined by a vertical convex end surface 29 and a U-shape end portion 30 having a pair of vertical coplanar end surfaces 31, 32. The halfcollar has an upper surface 33 Which extends outwardly beyond surfaces 27, 28, and 29 to define a peripheral ledge 34 having a downwardly and inwardly sloping collar seat 35. The height or thickness of the half-collar is less than the length of shank 12, while its width and length is less than the length of the crosshead l3 and greater than onehalf the length of the crosshead, respectively.

The U-shape end portion 30 of half-collar 26 is defined by a semi-cylindrical surface 38 having a radius greater than that of shank 12 and having its axis 40 contained in both the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the half-collar and the lateral plane which contains the end surfaces 31, 32. Each end surface 31, 32 is chamfered relative to sides 27 and 28 to define a pair of flat beveled surfaces 41 and 42.

Collar 4 is rotatably mounted on shank 12 of coupling member 3 by positioning the U-shape end portions 30-30 of two half-collars 2626 adjacent to shank 12. In this position, the opposed coplanar end surfaces 31 and 32 of each half-collar are placed in abutting engagement and the half-collars respective upper surfaces 33-33 and side surfaces 27-28, are contained in common horizontal and vertical planes. Opposed beveled surfaces 41-42 on diametrically opposite sides of shank 12 form a V-shape groove within which welding material 43 is deposited to permanently affix the half-collars to each other. Once assembled, coupling member 2 and collar 4 are inseparable.

As is well known in the containerization field, a plurality of tie-down devices are arranged in a plan contour on a support to provide a horizontal pattern similar to the horizontal undersurfa-ce contour of the container to be secured to the support. FIG. 2 illustrates, by fragmentary side elevation, the manner in which adapter 2 is used to vertically couple stacked containers 5 and 7.

Top and bottom corner castings 50, 51 of the containers are of a type recognized by the American Standard-s Association (A.S.A.). Typical of either casting, the casting comprises a chamber 53 or 54 having a reduced neck portion 55 or 56 which terminates in an entrance opening 57 or 58 in a wall 59 or 6%} that is coextensive therewith.

To secure container in non-shifting relation to the subjacent container 7, the crosshead 13 and collar 4 of each adapter 2 are aligned in their lengthwise direction thereby adapting the collar and cros-shead to be received in the circumjacent elongated opening 57 of the top corner casting 56. With the crosshead of each adapter 2 positioned fully .in chamber 53 and collar seat of the associated collar resting on a beveled seat 61 adjacent an trance opening 57, the collar is disposed within the opening in a predetermined vertical position relative to the planar surface of the support. As illustrated, upper surface 33 of collar 4 is adapted to supportably receive in bearing engagement undersurface 25 of the head to present both engaging surfaces in coplanar relationship to the planar surface 6 of the support. In this position coupling member 3 is rotated 90 degrees in either direction. This rotative movement disposes the free ends of the crosshead directly under the wall 59, thereby coupling adapter 2 to container 7. In the coupled position, upstanding head 11 of each adapter 2 is adapted to be received in chamber 54 of the bottom corner casting 51 that is fixedly included in the bottom corner structure of container 5.

To fasten and restrain the container from movement vertically of the adapter 2, removable locking means, such as key 66, interlocks the corner of container 5 to the adapter 2.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, coupling member 3 has, in a horizontal plane spaced above undersurface 25 of head 11, a cylindrical hole 67 opening through the convex end faces 22 and 23. The axis of hole 67 is contained in the longitudinal plane of coupling member 3 and is coaxial with an opening provided in the bottom corner casting 51, which opening is adapted to receive key 66 having a shaft portion 68 insertable through hole 67. Coupling member 3 is further provided with a slot 70 opening through the convex face 22 along the horizontal plane containing the axis of the hole. The slot 70 extends from hole 67 to vertical face 20 and has a length less than one-half the length of the hole. Longitudinally inwardly from convex face 22, slot 70 has a portion extending at right angles to the horizontal plane to define a lug-receiving cavity 71. The cavity 71 receives a lug 72 disposed on the shaft 68 of the key when the shaft is inserted into the hole and rotated through an angle of approximately 90 degrees about its axis.

The versatility of the adapter is increased by providing another slot '75 similar to slot 70 in coupling member 3 in the opposite half of head 11. This provision permits member 3 to be rotated relative to collar 4 in either clockwise direction subsequent to the insertion of crosshead 13 fully into the chamber 53. Slot 75 opens through the convex face 23 and extends from hole 67 to vertical face 21. In a manner similar to slot 70, slot 75 has a lug-receiving cavity 76 for receiving lug 72 when key 66 is in the locked position.

To assure proper orientation of adapter 2 relative to the support so that the head 11 will be received by the bottom corner casting of the container to be secured thereto, interengaging indexing means 89 are provided on the head 11 and collar 4. In the embodiment shown, the collar 4 is provided with a pair of projections 81-81. Projections 81-81 are disposed on upper surface 33 in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the collar 4 and in opposite equidistant relation from the axis 40. Arranged for mating engagement with projections 8181, head 11 is provided with a pair of recesses 8282 in its undersurface 25. It is evident from the drawings that the indexing means 80 also assists in maintaining the adapter in the coupled position relative to the support by acting as a stop means. That is, the interengaging relationship restrains or prevents accidental turning of the coupling member relative to the collar prior to the lowering of a container onto the support.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention of excluding such equivalents of the invention described or of the portions thereof as fall within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adapter for use in securing a cargo container to a support having a planar surface, said adapter comprising:

(A) a coupling member having (I) an upstanding head adapted to be received in an opening in the underside of the container, said head having an undersurface,

(2) a shank portion depending from said undersurface,

(3) a horizontally elongated crosshead connected to the free end of said shank;

(B) a collar rotatably mounted on said shank portion, said collar having a width less than the length of the crosshead and having an upper surface adapted for bearing engagement with said under surface to support said head, said collar adapted to be received in supporting engagement in an opening in the support; and

(C) said coupling member being rotatable relative to said collar in said supported position to dispose portions of said crosshead directly under the support to couple the adapter to the support.

2. An adapter in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(A) said collar and head have interengaging indexing means disposed on their uppersurface and undersurface, respectively, for orientating said coupling member relative to said collar in the coupled position.

3. An adapter in accordance with claim 2 in which said indexing means comprises:

(A) a pair of projections on said collar, each projection being disposed in opposite equidistant relation from the axis of the shank along the lengthwise axis of the collar; and

(B) the undersurface of said head having a pair of recesses arranged therein for mating engagement with said projections.

4. An adapter in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(A) supporting means is provided on said collar for bearing engagement with portions of the support defining the periphery of the opening in the support to thereby dispose said collar in a predetermined vertical position within the opening of the support relative to the planar surface of the support.

5. An adapter in accordance with claim 4 wherein:

(A) said collar and head have their uppersurface and undersurface, respectively, disposed in coplanar relationship to the planar surface of the support.

6. An adapter in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(A) said head comprises upper and lower portions, said lower portion being defined as a polyhedron having side faces extending in its lengthwise direction and oppositely facing end faces, said polyhedron having in a horizontal plane spaced above said undersurface a cylindrical hole opening through said end faces and a slot opening through one of said end faces, said slot extending from the hole to one of said side faces and from said one end face towards said other end face, said slot having a portion longitudinally inward from said one end face extending at right angles with its length to provide a lug-receiving cavity; and

(B) removable locking means for interlocking said container to the adapter, said locking means comprising a key having a shaft portion insertable through said hole, a lug disposed on said shaft traversable through 8,886,696 o 6 said slot at one angular position of the key relative References Cited to the axis of the hole and entrappaole within the UNITED STATES PATENTS cavity at another position of the key. 7. An adapter in accordance with claim 6 wherein: 25881289 9/1954 Sterhng 248-361 X (A) another slot is similarly arranged in said other 5 3,331,333 7/1967 Coulson X side face and other end face so that the coupling I member may be rotated relative to the collar in either ROY FRAZIER clockwise direction to permit coupling of the adapter CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. to the support and interlocking of the contzuner to F. DOMOTOR Assismnt Examilwr the adapter. 10 

